AFF09 Daily Dispatch: Day Five

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How I Got LostMonday was Arbor Day for me. That is, I watched two Austin Film Festival films up at the Arbor Cinema. The best anyone can do is three features a day from this point on, but I was too busy watching a screener to make it any earlier (and more on that later).

I don't know how much of it was rainy Monday, post-conference, or just being out of downtown, but the AFF movies at the Arbor were not crowded. That's not to say it was empty -- there was a respectable sized crowd for both films I saw -- but no one was forced for sit in the front row. Keep that in mind for all venues for the next three days; unless you're late, you're likely to get into everything now. If it's at the Paramount, you'll get in.

First up for me was How I Got Lost (pictured at right), directed by Joe Leonard and starring Aaron Stanford, Jacob Fishel, and Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married). I swear having Stanford in a film is a guarantee of getting it into an Austin festival. In the five years the films Flakes, Rick, Spartan, and The Cake Eaters have all played at an Austin festival. How I Got Lost is based on a short by Leonard, and the story revolves around two New York friends in the post-9/11 world.  Unfortunately, Leonard wasn't at the screening for a Q&A.

Happy EndingAs I mentioned yesterday, Chris Holland commanded I go see Happy Ending. Not really, and I'm hardly obedient, but Chris was insistent, as was another friend. Also, several people I saw leaving the first screening were gushing about it, which is a good barometer of a good film.  Director Atsuhiro Yamada was there for the Q&A, and cited Paul Thomas Anderson as a major influence, particularly Punch Drunk Love (guess where it is in my Netflix queue now?). It's a sweet little film about a horrorphile girl who resists romances, yet seems to be stuck in a love story. It desperately needs distribution. 

I'm not sure what I'm doing tomorrow. Maybe Thor at the Bus Stop, or maybe spending the evening at the Texas Spirit theater.  All I know is there are only three more nights left of Austin Film Festival.